Tales of the Giant Crab – 8

Walt Walvick and I were at the 1970 Labor Day Regional in Pittsburgh and were sharing a large room near the tournament site. One night, Dennis Kasle, Gaylor’s younger brother, arrived. He  found us to ask if we could put him up in our room. We told him where we were staying but that we could not go back until we were finished playing that session. He would have to wait until it was over very late that night.

Dennis was very tired and went to the motel. He said to the room clerk, “I’m Mark Blumenthal. May I please have the key to my room?”

The clerk said, “We don’t have a Mark Blumenthal registered here.”

“Oh,” said Dennis. “I mean I’m Walt Walvick.” The clerk gave him the key, and Dennis went up to the room and went to sleep.

About 2:00am Walt and I arrived. Providentially I had stopped to get a Pepsi so Walt was alone when he  told the clerk he was Walt Walvick and asked for his key.  Fully alerted, the clerk accompanied him to the room.

When they got there the clerk opened the door. He snapped on the lights and pointed to the recumbent  Dennis. He said, “If you are Walt Walvick, who is  that?”

” Oh my God,” said Walvick. “I’ve never seen him before.”

The people running the motel knew something funny was happening as they gave us a notice that we had to leave by noon, but all three of us had a room. The next day we found a very close place  with no problem.